More money for groceries is being rushed to families hard-pressed by job losses and other challenges.

The Virginia Department of Social Services has announced that extra food stamp benefits are being rushed to recipients to help keep food on the table for people in need.

On March 25, the department raised the average per person payment from $119 a month to $146 a month, the maximum allowed under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the announcement stated.

Recipients had extra money loaded to their SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer or EBT debit cards last Wednesday to reflect the higher amounts, the department stated. In April, recipients will receive their regular amounts and have the additional amount added on the 16th.

In Richmond, 18,206 households with 34,511 people received $4.4 million to pay for food, the department’s February report showed. Across the state, 333,669 households with 679,702 people shared in $80 million in February.

The department is projecting a surge in applications for food benefits help given the massive layoffs the pandemic is causing.

The new benefit levels are $194 per month for a single person; $355 a month for a household of two; $509 a month for a household of three people; $646 a month for a household of four people; $768 a month for a household of five people; $921 a month for a household of six people; $1,018 a month for a household of seven people; $1,164 for a household of eight people; and $146 a month additional for each person in a larger household.